Utah's Fourth Street Clinic was awarded $250,000 from the federal government to expand behavioral health services for at least 360 residents.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's Fourth Street Clinic was awarded $250,000 from the federal government to expand behavioral health services for at least 360 residents.

The clinic, which serves mainly the city's homeless and low-income population, was one of 221 health centers in 47 states to get the handout — part of $54.6 million in Affordable Care Act funding awards announced Thursday.

"This will allow us to double the services we provide for mental health and substance abuse, and reach people in a patient-centered medical home, which is what we are," Melanie Taylor, the clinic's acting CEO, said Friday.

Benefits for the treatment of mental or substance abuse disorders were enhanced by fairly new health care reform laws, increasing access for hundreds of thousands of Utahns. Health centers are encouraged to use the new source of funding to hire additional mental health professionals, add more services and employ integrated models of primary care, including the newly available behavioral health benefits.

Wendy Leonard works as a reporter for the Deseret News, and while her daily duties are dictated by breaking news, she currently focuses on writing about issues involving health care, medicine and transportation. She began more ..